More from Employment

Jobs report

Illinois has the fourth-highest minimum wage in the country, tied with Connecticut and Washington, D.C., at $8.25 per hour. Earlier this year, Gov. Pat Quinn proposed a minimum-wage increase to $10 per hour — a move that would skyrocket Illinois past the state of Washington, which at $9.19 per hour boasts the highest minimum wage in the country today. But none of that will matter if a pair of congressmen get their way.

Jobs report

Unemployment is falling across the country — some places faster than others.That much remains apparent in Chicago, where joblessness for the metropolitan area came in at 9.1 percent in April, two percentage points above the national rate.

Jobs report

When will construction jobs dig out of this hole? Among the hardest-hit occupations in the recession, construction jobs have yet to show signs of bouncing back in the Chicago area. And forecasts don't offer much good news, either.

Jobs report

It should come as little surprise to see local employment projections favoring jobs in tech, health care and business services in 2013. Recent history shows a diversification of Chicago's workforce with the emergence of those sectors.

Jobs report

Several of the Chicago area's most important job sectors have seen marginal gains in the past 12 months. Crain's analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine which industries are gaining and losing jobs as part of its ongoing look at Chicago employment.

Job growth

The unemployment rate in Illinois continues to show modest improvement. From October 2011 to October 2012, it fell 1.2 percentage points, joining 18 other states showing statistically significant changes. But the state is a long way from recovery. How far? That was the question that led us to this month's jobs report.

Public sector jobs

As we head into the home stretch of the presidential election, job creation and loss are sure to be on the minds of voters and pundits alike. President Obama's home state of Illinois lost the third most jobs between December 2008 and May 2012, the most recent month for which these figures are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Where Chicago's super-commuters live

The number of Chicago-area workers who live farther than 90 miles outside Cook County grew by more than 40 percent during the last decade, in line with a trend among the 10 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.

How Chicago's hospitality stacks up

How Chicago's hospitality workforce stacks up against other vacation spots: The share of Chicago jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry has increased steadily in the last decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Long-term unemployment

A look at Illinois' high rate of long-term unemployment: The number of Illinois workers unemployed for more than six months continues to push record highs, according to a recent study from Northeastern University.

Looking into the crystal ball

What the Illinois job market will look like in 2018: Illinois factory jobs will be whittled down over the next few years while the health sciences and information technology sectors see the greatest ten-year increase by 2018.